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D7029 in service
D7029 was built as part of an order for 101 'Type 3' diesel-hydraulic locomotives. The order for the class was placed in June 1959 but it wasn't until the 5th April 1962 that D7029 was delivered from Beyer Peacock to Swindon Works. After weighing and acceptance trials, D7029 was trialed to Stoke Gifford on the 16th and handed over for service that afternoon. Allocated new to Cardiff Canton, D7029 settled down quickly to working express trains from South Wales to London, amongst the more prestige jobs was the Red Dragon which ran from Swansea to Paddington.

A brief spell at Plymouth Laira from August to November 1967 saw workings into Cornwall but within three months D7029 was transferred back to Bristol Bath Road. The move to Old Oak Common took place in April 1968 and it was this depot that would be responsible for looking after D7029 for the next seven years, until its demise in 1975.

A collision occurred in March 1970 involving D7029 where it was damaged at both ends. The B end sustained buffer beam damage, forcing the buffers downwards and the A end cab sustained a large crease in the cab front. Although no details are known about the incident the evidence suggested D7029 was run into at the B end and its train piled into its rear 'A' end cab, riding up over the buffers. The damage sustained to the cab frame in one corner is still present on the locomotive, Swindon patching up the damage suitably enough to return the locomotive to service. More details can be found in the Restoration Works page. When released from Swindon on the 21st May 1970 D7029 sported a new coat of paint in the new corporate Blue livery.

Being an Old Oak Common based locomotive saw it used mainly on the Paddington to Worcester & Hereford route with frequent use on Oxford commuter services. Freight work was confined to trip workings around Park Royal and Greenford as well as cross London service from Acton to Willesden and Temple Mills.

The decline of the class began in earnest from 1972 onwards when they lost the Bristol to Portsmouth and Weymouth services to BR DEMU traction and the South Wales services to DMU and class 37 traction. By January 1974 there were just ten examples of the once 101 strong class left in service. Brush Type 2 Class 31's started to infiltrate services once the stronghold of Hymeks reducing them to more and more freight workings, taking them to South Wales and Devon. As New Years Day dawned in 1975 only six remained and D7028 would succumb that same day.

1975 last days
The beginning of the end for D7029 had started on the 17th December 1974 when the loco was stopped at 05:00 for reported fuel dilation. Engine repair work was started by the night fitters from the 16th and continued with less and less enthusiasm until, on the 19th, work stopped completely. Pushed out of the factory to release space for other more important locomotives, D7029 was positioned outside the factory. The loco remained in this condition at Old Oak Common until the day shift started at 08:00 on the 3rd January 1975. They started to rebuild the engine and requested that the loco be brought inside to be put on charge, a task not carried out until the 10th when space became available. Eventually it was the afternoon shift on the 15th that handed D7029 as fit for traffic, only to be told that the locomotive was to be confined to shed and used as the yard pilot!

This is how D7029 was destined to remain until, on Sunday the 2nd February D7022 was failed, at 23:00, with engine stopping faults, that is to say it just kept shutting down. The decision was made to return D7029 to traffic in its place. Given a Ultrasonic Axle Test and a brake block change D7029 was trialed in the yard, operated in 'power' and all safety systems checked. Once these were proved to have operated correctly D7029 was returned to traffic as of 05:00 on the 4th of January.

Having spent the majority of its new lease of life on trip freights from Acton to Park Royal and Southall mixed in with Cross-London freights the final days in service for D7029 was almost top link work!

On Saturday 15th February D7029 worked 4B05 05:15 Paddington to Bristol parcels and came back on 4A39 empty vans at 14:00 from Malago Vale. Resting at Old Oak all day Sunday the next duty was on the 17th performing a local Acton to Slough engineers train.

Stopped at 01:00 on Tuesday 18th February at Old Oak Common for 'C' exam the loco was returned to service at 14:00 on the 19th as spare. On the 20th Control used D7029 on another trip to Bristol, still with 4B05 but this time returning on 6A27 11:55 Malago Vale to Old Oak Common empty vans. Unfortunately D7029 was failed on the 21st at 05:30 with coolant water coming from tell-tale holes on No15 cylinder liner on the engine. Stopped pending materials which never arrived saw the locomotive condemned on the 28th of February.

Works Visits

Detailed records of the mechanical history for D7029 have been saved by the group from British Railways along with the full history from the Swindon Works maintenance folder. But if you have any information to add please get in touch

The story continues with D7029's Preservation History